It is something to be able to paint a particular picture, or to carve a statue, and so to make a few objects beautiful; but it is far more glorious to carve and paint the very atmosphere and medium through which we look.....To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.
Henry Thoreau

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

The best laid plans

Today I was bound and determined to really get things back on track. Yes, we have been back to school since Monday but sticking to the usual routine has been a bit dicey. I know the reality is that this is a big ship and it takes a while to get it steered in the right direction, but I decided to make a concerted effort to get things in order TODAY.

My first resolution was to not let Jed and Manny watch tv in the morning. I've gotten into the bad habit of letting them watch a show ( or 2) while I am attending to projects first thing. Well, my first project was to clean up the laundry room. I was patting myself on the back on Sunday because I only saw a couple of half filled laundry baskets of dirty clothes. However, once Monday rolled around I got the whole story and it wasn't pretty.

While starting there I found that the tupperware of chili I had set on the dryer ( admittedly not very bright) while cleaning out the fridge in there had spilled ( of course!) and the contents had fallen between the washer and dryer. I had to move the washer and clean it up, and while I was doing that became aware of all the gunk and goo that was also under the washer. Which I also ( in good conscience) had to clean up.Well, that did it. I caved and let them watch their newly discovered Transformers cartoon so I could have some peace and quiet while attending to this distasteful job. To further my woe, I found there were big splashes of dried on chili on the wall.....which need to be soaked in cleanser before I could get it off. There went starting a new load or two for the forseeable future.

Since they were quietly watching tv I decided to try and sneak in a workout ( another resolution). My left ear has been cracking and popping since my most recent cold, but obviously there is something worse going on because after about two sets of sit ups I got the worst attack of vertigo complete with gut wrenching nausea. Oh darn, no sit-ups for awhile. :)

Thankfully George was up by now so I laid down on the couch trying to keep very still. I fell asleep. And didn't wake up for an hour. The tv was still on. But I felt better. :)

And so my third resolution which was to make SURE everyone was up by 8 and attending to their duties was out the door as well.

I'm not sure what the moral of the story is, but I have made sure NOT to make anymore resolutions. Today, anyway. :)

My daughter's blog

Someone who has a why can live with any what and any how.Viktor Frankl

The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that's the essence of inhumanity.

George Bernard Shaw

And it is this humanity of Jesus that makes visible what is divine in him, which makes him manifest to us as God. Frenzy of any kind - even if it is 'religious' zeal and frenzy - is totally alien to the man of the New Testament. Think about it: Every time that we believe we are absolutely indispensable, every time we think that the world and the Church depend on our tireless activity, we over-value ourselves.

It is not that I wish to sing the praises of laziness, but I do wish tosuggest a certain change in the table of virtues as it has evolved in theWestern world, for which only action counts as a legitimate and conceivableactivity - whereas meditation, wonder, self-communion and silence are seento be indefensible and worthless, or at the very least, 'activities' thatneed to be justified.